It’s a dangerous time to be in America for everyone right now. British comic creator (Becky) R.E. Burke has been detained by ICE for visa issues in Washington state. The Welsh woman has been held for 11 days in a processing center after being denied entry into Canada over a “visa mix-up.”
Burke arrived in the US on January 7, backpacking around the country. After being in New York, she flew across the country to Portland, Oregon where she spent time with a host family, helping with household chores in return for accommodation.
On February 26, she planned to travel to Vancouver Canada after being in Seattle, Washington. When she reached the Canadian border, she was denied entry as they were concerned she was going to try to work illegally. After that, she spent six hours at the border while American authorities determined if what she had been doing in the US counted as work, even though it wasn’t paid. They still decided she had “violated” her visa.
Burke is being held in a dormitory of 110 people in a detention center in Tacoma, Washington.
Some details of the detention have come out including being forced to wear the same jumper for a week at a time, blankets, clothes, and towels being in short supply, it being cold, and other detainees in the facility have been there for months or years.
Burke has offered voluntary departure which could expedite her release but that needs to be approved by a judge. When that could happen is unknown as numerous judges have resigned or been fired under the Trump administration creating further delays in a system that is already plagued by delays. Even official channels like the British consulate are unable to get a clear answer as to what’s going on.
Becky’s father Paul is posting updates on social media. Anyone with expertise that can help can reach him through there.
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Source: Graphic Policy
